Japanese low-cost carrier (LCC) Peach Aviation has announced its plans for the future and a new crop of pilots, with the introduction of the Peach Pilot Challenge Programme.

The new training programme comes ahead of plans for Peach to incorporate its own in-house training to expedite the LCC’s vision to operate more than 50 aircraft on more than 50 domestic and international routes by 2020 (it currently operates 21 aircraft on 16 domestic and 15 international routes), as well as to improve the number of Japanese fliers in the face of a worldwide pilot shortage.

Until now, Peach recruited its pilots the Civilian Aviation College. The new training is comprised of two parts: the first half (approximately 20 months) is provided by L3 CTS Airline and Academy Training Limited, in New Zealand and England, with successful participants receiving a European commercial pilot license and instrument flight rating certificate.

The second half is an eight-month assessment conducted by Honda Airways, providing students with the practical and theoretical knowledge needed to convert their European documentation into a Japanese licence. From there, alumni will become Peach trainee pilots, with all further education and training covered by the airline.

“We want to develop valuable talents with passion for flying”

Representative director and CEO, Shinichi Inoue: “Peach has been developing many new programs as Japan’s first low cost carrier. As a pioneer in the Japanese airline industry, our next step is to have the first in-house pilot training programme offered by a Japanese LLC. This will lead to further evolution of the airline industry.”

“We have developed a high quality training programme geared toward future pilots who dream to fly in Japan and in Asia. In the future, we want to develop valuable talents with passion for flying, become a leading LCC in Asia, and contribute to creating more demand for flying.”

“Peach is working to solve the problem of a shortage of pilots”

Airbus Japan president Stéphane Ginoux added: “Peach is working to solve the problem of a shortage of pilots, an urgent issue that will impact further growth of the aviation industry and has drawn people’s attention, and we are thrilled to be able to support those efforts. We really hope that the Peach Pilot Challenge Programme results in a large number of young pilots from Japan.”